Ahead of her new solo exhibition at Cadogan Gallery in Milan, the Dutch painter reflects on South Limburg's rural landscape, the rhythms of domestic life, and the quiet poetry of home

There is a quiet, contemplative cadence to the way Dutch artist Nuria Maria sees the world. Living and working from her studio in the countryside of South Limburg - the southernmost region of the Netherlands - Maria exists in constant dialogue with the elements outside her window: the shifting gradient of seasonal light, the patina of old stone, the rustle of trees, and the calm stillness that settles over a home during the peak of summer.

This autumn, Maria brings that serene intimacy to Italy with Blues Rouge, her third solo exhibition with Cadogan Gallery, opening on September 17, 2026, at their space on Via Bramante in Milan. Running through October 17, the show serves as a poetic study in how our immediate surroundings shape our interior lives, blurring the boundaries between landscape, architecture, and domestic sanctuary.

"A pleasant silent calmth in a cool room amidst the heat of the summer," Maria observes of the mood driving the collection. "Blues Rouge describes the warm blues in the cool shades and the light in the windows."

Born in 1990 into a family of creative minds, Maria grew up immersed in the visual arts. Her path to full-time painting was thoughtfully circuitous - she studied Cultural Studies at the University of Amsterdam and Psychology at Tilburg University before earning her Fine Art degree from the Academy of Fine Arts Maastricht in 2014. Over the years, her aesthetic has evolved gracefully from figuration toward subtle abstraction, yet weather, atmosphere, and light have remained constant touchstones.

In Blues Rouge, Maria expands her focus from expansive outdoor scenes to the subtle rituals of the interior. Windows act as frames through which the outside world filters; everyday objects, flowers, and architectural details become anchors of memory and emotion. A recurring protagonist throughout the body of work is the piano. More than an instrument, it stands as an emblem of domestic life - an object linked to music, memory, and the quiet rhythms of home.

The exhibition moves fluidly between scale and medium. Small, intimate drawings and atmospheric studies sit alongside sweeping, large-scale canvases. By enlarging delicate still-life details into expansive compositions, Maria invites viewers into a dynamic interplay of distance and closeness, detail and vastness.

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The setting for this showcase could not be more fitting. Founded in 1980 and led by Director Freddie Burness, Cadogan Gallery has championed artist-centred contemporary abstraction for over four decades. Following the expansion from its flagship Belgravia location in London to its Milan space in 2023, the gallery continues to offer tailored, contemplative environments for material and conceptual experimentation. In Milan, the gallery's intimate proportions create an ideal backdrop for Maria’s meditative works.

EXHIBITION DETAILS

Blues Rouge by Nuria Maria runs from September 17 to October 17, 2026 at Cadogan Gallery, Via Bramante 5, Milan